Nov 16, 2024; Stanford, California, USA; Stanford Cardinal running back Chris Davis Jr. (5) runs after a catch during the second quarter against the Louisville Cardinals at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Kupbens-Imagn Images
One player who seems to have been forgotten about on the Stanford Cardinal roster is tailback Chris Davis Jr., who was rated a 4-star recruit by Rivals coming out of high school. Expected to be a redshirt sophomore in 2026, Davis is a back with tons of upside due to his speed and shiftiness. As a true freshman, he rushed for 288 yards on 54 carries for an impressive average of 5.3 yards per carry. In their 26-24 win over Syracuse that season, he rushed for 79 yards on just nine carries, for an average of 8.8 yards per carry.
After showing flashes of what he could be as a true freshman, Davis only appeared in two games as a sophomore in 2025 due to battling injury. He never was able to build on his 2024 season.
While his teammate Micah Ford is more of power, bruising runner, Davis is cut out of the Christian McCaffrey cloth as a guy who can make plays in the return game and receiving game due to the skillset that he has. Listed at 5’10”, 195 pounds, Davis is a guy who has the tools to break ankles and make defenders miss in space. It’s just a matter of him putting it all together with consistency and staying healthy.
Looking ahead to spring practice and the 2026 season at large, it’ll be interesting to see what Chris Davis Jr. is able to do. He’s arguably the most mysterious player on the entire team due to his upside coupled with limited touches. A lot of all-purpose backs are like that.
While being labeled the next Christian McCaffrey is an unfair label for anybody, Davis does wear the number five like McCaffrey did and I know he’s aware of that fact. It’s something we discussed in one of my previous interviews.
If there’s another player that Davis should look to emulate, a name that comes to mind is Tyler Ervin, who played in the heart of Silicon Valley at San Jose State. After rushing for a combined 312 yards his first two seasons, Ervin played in just one game as a junior due to injury. As a redshirt junior, Ervin went on to rush for 888 yards and four touchdowns before exploding for 1601 yards and 13 touchdowns as a redshirt senior. A similar career arc could be in Davis’ future.
Given the presence of Ford, I think a realistic goal for Davis this year is to see if he can rush for 500 yards as the number two back on the team with 200+ receiving yards. I think that would be an exciting season for him and a real sign that his trajectory is on the way up. He has all the tools and potential to be a real playmaker for the Cardinal offense. The only question is when does that switch get turned on?
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